The VicConnect executive leadership team, including representatives from Rail Projects Victoria, recently had the privilege of attending a cultural education presentation with Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC).
VicConnect is a consortium comprising UGL Limited, Decmil and Arup, and has been selected to carry out the design and build works on the Gippsland Line Upgrade railway project, overseen by Rail Projects Victoria, the Australian government’s infrastructure department for the region.
GLaWAC is the registered Aboriginal Party covering the areas of Latrobe, Wellington, Alpine and East Gippsland.
The project is partly situated on Gunaikurnai country, from Morwell through to Traralgon.
Beginning at Kroathunkooloong Keeping Place in Bairnsdale with host Gratton Mullet, the team increased their awareness of the Gunaikurnai people’s history of the Gippsland area. The display included traditional hunting and fighting weapons, bark canoes, baskets, fishing spears, boomerangs and an exhibition of contemporary Gunaikurnai art.
The team then moved on Country to Howitt Park to view a scar tree, believed to be more than 170 years old and has a four-metre-long scar where bark has been peeled away when men made a canoe.
This area consists of major waterways which were a valuable food source and camping area, many artefacts have been removed from the area by the Traditional Owner Group.
The final destination was the GLaWAC centre where the team was given an extensive overview of the services provided to community and a Gunaikurnai Cultural Heritage presentation while enjoying lunch from the Bush Café on site.
Partnering with GLaWAC, the team was able to appreciate what the land on which they work means to the Aboriginal people, their Elders and how it must be respected it whilst at work and on journeys through country in the future.
